Article of footwear and heel therefor



Nov. 2, 1948; A. J. DUNB'ROOK 2,453,002

ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR AND HEEL THEREFOR Filed D60. 11, 1946 I Jim-1105.. .filexandea J "Um-227500. 1"

Patented Nov. 2, 1948 ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR AND HEEL THEREFOR Alexander J. Dunbrook, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 11, 1946, Serial No. 715,566

(Cl. 36--70l 14 Claims.

Thlsinvention relates to an article of footwear and heel therefor and more particularly to a heel construction adapted to eliminate splashing of water and mud in walking. a

When a shoe heel is pressed against a wet sidewalk and then removed as in walking, there are several forces acting on the moisture. The adherent force between the water film and the heel surface is great enough to allow some of the water to be lifted from the sidewalk against the force of gravity. As the heel of the shoe is raised from the wet surface, the cohesive force between the molecules and droplets of water tends to draw the water into larger drops. The gravitational force on the drops formed is greater than the adherent force to the heel surface and the drops are discharged from the heel. The motion of the heelthrows some of the drops over on the opposite leg of the person walking, since the drops leave the edges of the heel indiscriminately and not in a directed path. a

It is an object of this invention to prevent indiscriminate splashing of water and .mud from the heel of an article of footwear by facilitating the discharge of water from the heel surface in a directed path. It is a further object of this invention to prevent splashing without aflecting the overall walking surface. of the heel and without effecting any material change in the contour of the heel face or detracting from the appearance of the heel.

iii

water. The heel l2 comprises a tread member l3 having a forward inner corner portion l4 thereof separated from the remainder l5 of the tread member by a channel l6 which extends from the inner edge I! of the tread l3 to the breast portion [8 thereof. In the preferred embodiment the isolated forward inner corner portion It is generally tear-drop shaped with the angular tip i9 thereof forming the inner corner of the heel. The channel it preferably follows a generally arcuate path and has a planar bed 29 substantially parallel to the plane of the tread face. The rear wall 28 of the channel preferably is beveled in an overcut bevel adjacent the inner edge ll of the tread l3 and an undercut bevel adjacent the breast iii of the tread.

The channel it converges with the inner edge I1 and breast 18 of the tread I 3 at sharply de- 1 have discovered that indiscriminate splashing is substantially eliminated by a heel construction in which a forward inner corner portion of the heel face is separated from the remainder of the heel face by a channel extending from the inner edge of the heel to'the breast thereof where by the water is discharged against the shank of the shoe from the corner formed by the convergence of said channel with the breast of the heel.

Of the drawings of a preferred embodiment of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a rubber overshoe having a heel adapted to prevent indiscriminate splashing;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the overshoe shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view taken on line 3-4 of Fig. 1.

This invention may be embodied in any article of footwear having a raised shank but is best understood by reference to a preferred embodiment as illustrated in Fig. 1. A rubber overshoe ill having a raised shank l l is provided with a heel l2 adapted to prevent splashing of mud and fined corners 22 and 23 which are adapted to discharge water from the heel surface in a directed path. The channel is of comparatively narrow width relative to the total walking surface of the heel so that the overall contour is not materially changed especially in view of the fact that a solid forward inner corner portion is provided. The channel in the preferred embodiment is wider near the ends thereof than in the center portion. The channel is of substantially greater depth than the tread design and is preferablyfrom to in depth.

The mechanics of discharging water from a heel embodying this invention are. relatively simple. The drops which are splattered on the opposite leg of the wearer normally are those thrown indiscriminately from the edges of the heel adjacent the forward inner corner and the corner itself. When the tread member has a forward inner corner portion thereof separated from the remainder of the tread by a channel extending from the inner edge to the breast of the heel, water drops collecting on the heel flow forward to the rear edge of the channel and follow along the channel edge to be discharged forwardly from the sharply defined corners.

In the preferred embodiment, the beveled rear wall of the channel is overcut adjacent the inner edge of the heel and undercut adjacent the breast thereof. By this construction, water easily flows into the channel down the overcut edge and moves down the channel toward the breast of the heel. By undercutting the channel wall adlament the breast of the heel, the motion of the heel throws the water against this undercut wall, which channels the water out to the angular corner, where it is discharged against the shank wearer.

3 of the shoe. Similarly, the vertical wall surface of the tear-drop shaped portion is preferably undercut, as shown in Fig. 3, to channel water off the angular tip in a directed path.

In ordinary use, the corner island of the tread serves largely to maintain a flat walking surface, and does not discharge appreciable amounts of water from the heel surface. The tear-drop shape-is preferable for use on a rubber in unusually wet conditions but other embodiments are within the scope of this invention.

This invention is applicable to any heel for a article of footwear, or any article of footwear,

having a raised shank in combination with a heel. By means of this simple and neat appearing heel construction, indiscriminate splashing when walking is substantially eliminated and water is discharged from the heel surface in a, directed path away from the other leg of the The walking surface of the heel is not substantially reduced and undesirable and unsightly projections beyond the normal contour of the heel portion are eliminated.

It will be understood that variations and modiiications may be efiectcd in articles of footwear and heels therefor embodying this invention within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Heel for an article of footwear comprising a tread member having a channel extending from the inner edge of said heel to the breast of said heel across the forward'inner corner portion of said tread member, said corner gal-tion being generally tear-drop shaped with the angular tip thereof forming the corner of the tread. I

2. Heel for an article of footwear comprising a tread member having a channel extending from the inner edge of said heel to the breast of said heel across the forward inner corner portion of said tread member, the bed of said channel being substantially planar and parallel tothe plane of the tread member, said corner portion being enerally tear-drop shaped with the angular tip thereof forming the corner of the tread.

3. Heel for an article of footwear comprising a tread member having a forward inner corner portion thereof separated from the remainder of the tread member by a channel which converges with the edges of the tread member at sharply defined corners,- said corner portion being generally tear-drop shaped with the angular tip thereof forming the corner of the tread.

4. Heel for an article of footwear comprising a tread member having a generally arcuate channel separating a forward inner corner portion of the tread member from the remainderthereof, said corner portion being generally tear-drop shaped with the angular tip thereof forming the corner of the tread.

5. Heel for an article of footwear having a groove on the outer face thereof converging with the inner edge of said heel at a sharply defined corner and converging with the breast of the heel at a sharply defined corner, said groove separating a forward inner corner portion of the heel face from the remainder thereof, said corner .portion being generally tear-drop shaped with the angular tip thereof forming the corner of the tread.

6. Heel for an article of footwear comprising a tread member having a forward inner corner portion thereof separated from the remainderof said tread member by a groove extending from the inneredge to the breast portion of said heel,

said groove having its rearward wall undercut in the region adjacent the breast portion of the heel.

7. Heel for an article of footwear comprising a tread member having a generally tear-drop shaped portion thereof in the forward inner cor,- ner portion of-the heel separated from the remainder of said tread member'by a generally arcuate channel havin a beveled rear wall which is overcut in the region adjacent the inner edge of the tread portion and undercut in the region adjacent the breast of the tread portion.

8. Heel for an article of footwear comprising a tread member having a generally tear-drop shaped portion in the forward inner corner portion of the heel separated from the remainder of the tread member by a channel extending from the inner edge to the breast of the heel, said tear-drop shaped portion havin an incurvate vertically extending surface.

9. Heel for an article of footwear comprising a, tread. member having a generally tear-drop shaped portion in the forward inner corner portion of the heel with the angular tip thereof forming .the corner of the tread member, said tear-drop shaped portion being separated from the remainder of the tread. member by a generally arcuate channel having a beveled rear wall converging at the ends thereof with the inner -edge and the breast of the tread portion in sharply defined corners, said beveled edge being overcut near the inner edge of the heel and undercut near the breast of the heel, said tear drop shaped portion having incurvate vertical sides. I a

10. An article of footwear including a heel adapted to directionally cast water from the heel surface and a raised shank positioned in the path traversed by water directionally cast "from the heel, said heel comprising a tread member having a generally tear-drop shaped forward inner corner-portion separated from the remainder of the tread member by a; channel extending from the inner edge of-the heel to the breast thereof. 11. Anarticle of footwear.v including 'a-heeil which comprises a tread member having'a gen erally tear-drop shaped forward inner corner portion thereof separated from the remainder of the tread member by a channel which converges with the breast of the heel in a sharply defined corner to cast water forwardly from the breast'of the heel, and a raised shankpositioned in the path traversed by water cast from the heel breast.

12 An article of footwear including a watercastingheel adapted to directionally discharge water from the heel face and a raised shank positioned in the path traversed by water directionally discharged from'the heel, said heel com-. prising a generally tear-drop shaped forward in-' ner corner portion separated from the remainderof the heel face by a channel extending from the inner edge to the breast of the heel, said channel having its rearward wall undercut in the region adjacent the breast of the heel.

13. An article of footwear including a heel which comprises a .tread member having a generally arcuate channel extendingfrom the inner edge of the heel to the-breastthereof, said channel having a beveled rear wall overcut. in. the region adjacent the inner edge ofthe heel and undercut in the region adjacent the breast of the heel, said channel separating a generally tear,- drop shaped forward inner corner portion of the tread member from .they remainder .thereof,: said corner. portion and channel being adapted .to dis.

2,4oaooa rectionally discharge water from the surface 0! the tread member, and a raised shank positioned forwardly from the breast of the heel in the path traversed by water directionally discharged from the tread member.

14. An article of footwear having a raised shank and a heel adapted to directionally discharge water from its surface against said shank, said heel comprising a tread member having a generally arcuate channel extending from the inner edge to the breast of the heel defining a generally tear-drop shaped corner portion, said corner portion having incurvate vertical walls with the angular tip of the portion forming the forward inner comer of the member, the rearward 6 wall of the channel being overcut adjacent the inner edge of the heel and undercut adjacent the breast of the heel and converging with said inner edge and breast respectively in sharply defined corners, said raised shank being disposed forwardly from the breast of the heel.

ALEXANDER J. DUNBROOK.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Snyder June 25, 1940 Number 

